The four grand slam tournaments have reached an agreement to create a formal Player Advisory Council, a joint effort designed to calm the prolonged dispute with leading players over prize money. Sources say the arrangement could be confirmed as early as Wednesday, coinciding with the United States Tennis Association's announcement of this year's US Open prize fund, which insiders expect to surpass $100m (£74m) for the first time.
The disagreement between the four majors and top-ranked players, including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, has stretched on for roughly 18 months. Players are pushing not only for higher prize money but also for financial support tied to player welfare and a genuine voice in how the tournaments are run.
Why has this dispute lasted so long?
The standoff traces back to complaints raised by leading players, including Novak Djokovic and Sabalenka, who criticised the French Open's prize money structure and called for changes to scheduling and player welfare provisions in May 2026. Tensions escalated further when Sinner and Sabalenka led limited media cooperation at Wimbledon in pursuit of a bigger revenue share, pensions and welfare funding, a protest that organisers had already signalled would continue into the grass-court season before shifting attention to Flushing Meadows. The pressure campaign produced its first concrete result when the French Open became the first slam to offer players a share of event revenue on 21 July 2026, intensifying scrutiny of the US Open's forthcoming announcement.
What are the players actually demanding?
Players want the grand slams to match the 22% revenue share already allocated to prize money by the ATP and WTA tours; by contrast, Wimbledon's £64.2m prize pot amounted to roughly 14.4% of the championships' total revenue. According to a report from Yahoo Sports, players' demands have also included separate advisory councils at each individual slam, an annual $4m contribution toward pensions and healthcare, and a revenue share beginning at 16% and rising incrementally to 22% by 2030 — a more detailed breakdown than the slams have previously acknowledged publicly, Yahoo Sports reported. The same report noted that discussions between the USTA and a players' committee had signalled willingness to proceed with an advisory council and welfare contributions, though no specific dollar figure had been agreed at that stage.
How would the new council work?
A person involved in the negotiations said it was essential that players retain control over who represents them, how those representatives are chosen, and how much influence they hold in the slams' decision-making processes. Both the ATP and WTA already operate player councils with representatives elected directly by players for fixed terms; the ATP's 2026 council, for comparison, counts Marcelo Arévalo among its named members, according to the tour's official announcement.
Did players follow through on the mixed doubles boycott threat?
Several players had floated the idea of boycotting the US Open's mixed doubles event, which the USTA has expanded as part of a broader push to grow revenue by stretching the tournament to three weeks. Notably, world No 1 Sinner did not appear among the entrants when the main draw was announced on Tuesday, though women's No 1 Sabalenka is set to compete in a high-profile pairing alongside Djokovic. Sinner had played mixed doubles at last year's event with Katerina Siniakova but withdrew because of an illness contracted the previous week at the Cincinnati Open.
What happens next?
All attention now turns to the USTA, led by new chief executive Craig Tiley, formerly of Tennis Australia, as the organisation prepares to unveil this year's prize fund. The US Open begins on 30 August 2026, and last year's total prize pool stood at $90m, meaning a figure exceeding $100m would mark a record high. Should players remain dissatisfied with the sum on offer, the threat of renewed media non-cooperation at Flushing Meadows remains active, and players are still awaiting fuller details of the proposed council's structure before finalising their stance, according to Yahoo Sports.
Key Facts
- The Player Advisory Council agreement could be confirmed alongside the US Open prize money announcement, expected on Wednesday.
- Sources anticipate the US Open prize fund will exceed $100m for the first time, up from $90m last year.
- Players are seeking a 22% revenue share matching ATP and WTA standards, compared with Wimbledon's roughly 14.4%.
- Reported demands include $4m annually for pensions and healthcare and a phased revenue share rising to 22% by 2030.
- Sinner is absent from the US Open mixed doubles draw, while Sabalenka will partner Djokovic.
